Immunology is the study of host resistance to infection. Without an immune system, humans and animals would be susceptible to overwhelming infection with bacteria, viruses, fungi or parasites. Vaccinology is the science behind the development of vaccines to initiate protective immune responses.

The University of Liverpools Institute of Infection, Veterinary, and Ecological Sciences (IVES) was established to bring together leading medical, veterinary and basic science researchers from across the Faculty of Health and Life Sciences.

We are one of few academic institutions in the UK to have designed, made and tested a human vaccine all the way through to clinical trials. We hold a significant human sample collection that can be used for immunological research underpinning our understanding of how these vaccines work, and how to improve upon them for the next generation of vaccines.

Research in Immunology and Vaccinology is based in new laboratories at four sites, the Biosciences Building, IC2, the Leahurst campus and the Ronald Ross Building. The Centre for Global Vaccine Research at the University of Liverpool currently works across Europe, Asia, Africa and more recently South America.

Our research spans the breadth of vaccine research from development to implementation and evaluation. The aims of the research are to investigate the nature of the cellular and humoral immune responses to pathogens of human or veterinary importance. It encompasses studies of the immune responses to and vaccination against a range of bacterial, viral and parasitic pathogens including: SARS-CoV-2, influenza, Salmonella, Streptococcus pneumoniae, chicken metapneumovirus, Cryptosporidium, cytomegalovirus and other herpesviruses, cyathostomins, Fasciola, Giardia, HIV, Japanese encephalitis virus, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, Neospora caninum, Onchocerca, Toxoplasma, Leptospira, Treponema, and Zika virus.